Dispatch wins top honors
The Dispatch was named Ohio’s best large newspaper Sunday in the Ohio Associated Press Media Editors awards, marking the fifth time in six years that the paper has received the honor.
“Ohio is blessed with many talented journalists. We’re grateful that so many of
them are working for Dispatch readers and that the judges of this contest chose to honor them,” said Editor Alan D. Miller. “It’s more evidence that The Dispatch is the trusted news source in Ohio.”
The Dispatch also was honored with the First Amendment Award for its fight for public records during its investigation into the eight killings in Pike County last year. Reporters and editors used many public records to provide readers with information about the killings, and filed a lawsuit seeking the release of autopsy reports. That suit is pending in front of the Ohio Supreme Court.
Reporter Holly Zachariah accepted the award on behalf of the newspaper, and said that public records “helped us put together, piece by piece, what happened that day.”
In all, The Dispatch won 26 awards, more than any other large newspaper in the state.
The Dispatch won eight other first-place awards in the newspaper contest: Zachariah, best feature writer; Theodore Decker, best columnist; Joe Kiefer, best headline writer; Justin Gilbert, best graphic artist and best informational graphic; Tom Reed, best sports enterprise; Adam Cairns, best news photo; and Eric Albrecht, best feature photo.
The newspaper won eight second-place awards, including: Barbara Carmen, best editorial writer; Tom Reed, best sports feature; Jonathan Quilter, best news photo; Doral Chenoweth III, best video; and Jill Riepenhoff, Mike Wagner and Lucas Sullivan for best investigative reporting. The Dispatch also won second-place awards for its series on the impact of the heroin crisis on Ohio and for spot news coverage of the terrorist attack at Ohio State University. The Dispatch also earned a second-place award for best digital presence for its website, mobile apps and social media platforms.
The Dispatch won eight third-place awards: best daily sports section; Ben Sutherly, best business reporter; Glenn Sheller, best editorial writer; Rita Price, best feature writer; Mike Wagner, best sports enterprise; Albrecht, best feature photo; Kyle Robertson, best sports photo; and Zachariah and Sutherly for best investigative reporting.
Features reporter Eric Lagatta, who joined the staff in 2016, was awarded second place for investigative reporting for his work at the Zanesville Times Recorder.
The Canton Repository and the (Massillon) Independent, which are owned by Gatehouse Media, the parent company of The Dispatch, were both named the best papers in their divisions.
The Associated Press is a not-for-profit news cooperative representing 1,400 newspapers and 5,000 broadcast stations in the United States.